Petermac's Railway

The Wills stone sheets arrived today - my word, they do seem small !

However, the good news is that, as the viaduct only has a gentle curve, and having tried them in situ, I think the sheets will bend sufficiently to avoid having to cut grooves in the back.  I just need to use a half decent glue.

Now to order a piercing saw ……………………………. :roll:

Oh good, it sounds as if you'll be fine Peter and that the build be be just fine and hopefully dandy.

Have fun.

Best,

Bill

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

The Wills stone sheets arrived today - my word, they do seem small !

However, the good news is that, as the viaduct only has a gentle curve, and having tried them in situ, I think the sheets will bend sufficiently to avoid having to cut grooves in the back.  I just need to use a half decent glue.

 

That's why I said that there were another three packs available on I think Amazon?

What about the tighter bend under the arches. :)

I bought 4 packs from Hattons Phil - I'm only doing 1 side of the viaduct but still not sure I'll have enough.  I haven't decided whether or not to do the embankment running off it with the same material.  I might do a Scalescenes retaining wall along that part ……………………….on the other hand, it may spoil the overall effect ……………  I think I'll need more packs ……….. :roll: :roll:  No wonder I can't afford expensive wines - what with piercing saws and expensive strone plasticard, I'm rapidly heading for the debtor's prison - and our reserve fridge/freezer gave up the ghost yesterday !!!

My plan re the inside of the arches is to do the piers with Wills material but the underside of the arches will most probably be done in Scalescenes covered card - it will probably never be seen plus, trying to bend Wills sheets into such tight curves is daunting.  I'll see how I get on with it and what it might look like with one or other.  "Spoiling the ship" springs to mind ………….

We're all having a collection for you Peter, to try and help out  

Seriously though, if something else will work for the under arches then go for it but….you might be sorry when it comes to taking pictures, curving Wills sheets is not a big problem.

[user=753]Phil.c[/user] wrote:

We're all having a collection for you Peter, to try and help out  

……………………………………………….

 


You're probably right about under the arches Phil.  I'll certainly do some experimenting and ask for opinions before I jump one way or the other.   :thumbs

Good luck. I’ve got away with straight edges with them (for now at least)!  I’m also only making simple cuts, so I’ve just the score, bend and gently snap method.  None of these fancy saws. 

I've ordered my saw - from UK !

It would appear that when the French need a piercing saw, they go to Britain.  Every one I found online here was either coming from UK  within about a week or from the Far East within about a month !!.

I wonder now if I've dropped a bit of a clanger.  I've ordered one with an adjustable bow - mainly because one can use the remains of broken blades in them and I'm thinking there will be plenty.  I am however, now slightly worried about being able to keep the bow tight at whatever setting it's supposed to be. Vibration might loosen the thumb fixing …………….time will tell !!

You should be ok with an adjustable bow, the trouble you might have is, usually when a blade brakes it brakes in the middle, so it's then only a couple of inches long, once you put it in the two jaws, it's even shorter so the adjustable part of the bow, the bit that sticks out of the back might be in the way of your hand on the handle?

What size blades have you bought?

Old school here, Eclipse PS51 with a wooden handle, can't go wrong.

Relax and enjoy,

Bill

Been using mine for thirty years mainly for work but it does what it says on the box. :cool wink

I nearly bought the Eclipse but, as I said earlier, I decided to go for an adjustable bow. I'm beginning to wish I hadn't.

 I didn't think of the blades breaking in the middle Phil - I'd assumed they'd break at one or other clamp point ………….. :sad:

The saw comes with 144 blades of assorted sizes - apparently Sizes 1 to 6 although I had thought blades were fine, medium or coarse.  :???:   Blades themselves seem pretty cheap - anything from around £4 per gross upwards.   I'd guess, like everything, there's an optimum price for the best quality but these came with the saw.  Once I've broken the first few dozens, I'll know which works best and can replace with "proper" ones …………..

Blades usually break because of too much pressure applied and twisting when sawing.

I've just re-read your comments about the adjustable part of the bow fouling my hand with short blades Phil.  I hadn't grasped what you meant at first but now understand and yes, you're absolutely right.  I wonder if one can mount the handle on the other end of the bow……………. :roll:

I'd have thought that problem would hit them the minute they put the design to the test.  The sales blurb says, being adjustable, one can use variable length and even broken blades if necessary ……………………………

All will be revealed when it arrives - about a week they said.

It might be possible to reverse the handle it depends on how long the protrusion is on the other end, I would try it out first before doing alterations, you need to practice a little first to get the hang of it but basically, make sure you hold the sheet steady so it doesn't move around as this can cause the blade to twist and break, also remember to let the blade do the cutting, downward and with no pressure.

Ok, So far I've got that Peter can now only afford cheap Wine for SWMBO and rather than bending to his Wills, She  gave him a piercing look and threw him out. last time anyone Saw him he was  living under the Arches  :shock:
Think I need to stop speed reading to catch up and go back and read the last few pages again !  
Cheers
Matt

Looks like you're not drinking cheap wine 

[user=2080]Barchester[/user] wrote:

Ok, So far I've got that Peter can now only afford cheap Wine for SWMBO and rather than bending to his Wills, She  gave him a piercing look and threw him out. last time anyone Saw him he was  living under the Arches  :shock:
Think I need to stop speed reading to catch up and go back and read the last few pages again !  
Cheers
Matt

:doublethumb

Michael

Whilst waiting for tools and materials to tackle the viaduct, I've been continuing with the steady climb up towards the high level boards.

The gradient is around 1 in 50 on both long sides of the unit whilst across the ends, it's level.

Here, in these 2 shots, you can see the single track branch line climbing around the loco yard.  The viaduct is on the right just off screen. The grey safety barrier is simply 2mm card spray painted and stapled to the timber track bed. The inner barrier will be a more "scenic" affair ………… :roll:   Slightly top right of the engine shed you can see the hinges for the lifting viaduct mounted on timber uprights.  These timber uprights will be disguised to become a sort of portal entrance to the viaduct :




The green bit where the fence is will probably become a road climbing up to  an intermediate level station:




This shot was intended to show the relatively easy 1 in 50 climb.  I tested my Bachmann Std Class 4 tender loco and it's limit is 9 coaches - given this is a branch line, 9 coaches will never be required so I'm very pleased :




The "intermediate level station" is the original through station but the platforms will now be below ground level whilst the entrance portico will be at "ground" level.  Here is part of the main building temporarily sitting on an offcut of old sundeala.  The branch line continues to climb along the back wall and will be hidden by the station buildings :




This shot is about 2ft to the left of the previous shot and will be the end of the gradient - everything from here on will be level.  You can probably just make out the clearance between datum and the upper level.  This will hopefully allow me to access the lower level tracks :

Looking good Peter.